Europa
1519 – Hernán Cortés lands in Mexico
While this event took place outside Europe, it marked the beginning of Spanish (and European) conquest in the Americas, led by the Spanish explorer Hernán Cortés.
1781 – Discovery of Uranus
German-born British astronomer William Herschel discovered the planet Uranus. This was a major milestone in astronomy and expanded humanity’s understanding of the solar system.
1848 – Vienna Uprising (Revolutions of 1848)
The people of Vienna, Austria, revolted against the conservative government of Klemens von Metternich, forcing him to resign. This was part of the broader wave of revolutions that swept across Europe in 1848.
1930 – Announcement of Pluto’s Discovery
Although discovered by American astronomer Clyde Tombaugh, the name “Pluto” was suggested by an 11-year-old girl from England, Venetia Burney. The name aligns with European tradition by referencing Roman mythology.
1938 – Anschluss: Nazi Germany Annexes Austria
Adolf Hitler’s Germany annexed Austria into the Third Reich. This event, known as the Anschluss, marked a significant escalation toward World War II.
1964 – Kitty Genovese Case (Impact on Social Psychology)
Although this event occurred in New York, it had significant influence on European and global psychology research, particularly in understanding bystander behavior and intervention.
2013 – Pope Francis Elected
Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected as Pope Francis, becoming the first Jesuit pope and the first non-European pope in over a millennium. His election marked a significant moment for the Catholic Church in Europe and globally.
America
1639: Harvard College was officially named after clergyman John Harvard, marking an important milestone in American education.
1862: During the American Civil War, the U.S. federal government prohibited Union army officers from returning fugitive slaves, effectively annulling the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 and paving the way for the Emancipation Proclamation.
1865: The Confederate States of America reluctantly agreed to use African American troops during the Civil War.
1897: San Diego State University was founded, contributing to higher education in the United States.
1933: Amid the Great Depression, banks in the United States began reopening after President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s mandated “bank holiday”.
1943: In World War II, Japanese troops ended their assault on American forces at Hill 700 in Bougainville.
1969: Apollo 9 returned to Earth after a successful 10-day mission orbiting the planet, testing systems for future moon landings.
1991: Exxon paid $1 billion in fines and costs for cleaning up the Alaskan oil spill, one of the most significant environmental disasters in U.S. history.
2020: President Donald Trump declared the COVID-19 pandemic a national emergency in the United States, marking a critical moment in public health response.
Asia
624: The Battle of Badr took place in Badr, Saudi Arabia. It was a pivotal victory for Muslim forces led by Prophet Muhammad against the Meccan army commanded by Abu Jahl.
1919: As part of the March First Movement for Korean independence from Japanese colonial rule, Koreans in Manchuria organized a protest involving around 20,000 to 30,000 participants on March 13. This was one of many demonstrations that spread across Korea and beyond during this period.
1940: Indian revolutionary Udham Singh assassinated Michael O’Dwyer in London as an act of revenge for the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar, India.
1997: Sister Nirmala succeeded Mother Teresa as the Superior General of the Missionaries of Charity due to Mother Teresa’s declining health.
1988: The Aomori-Hakodate Tunnel, connecting Honshū and Hokkaidō in Japan, began operations, marking a significant infrastructure milestone.
Africa
1701: Khoisan people looted more than 40 cattle from settlers at the Cape in South Africa, reflecting early tensions between indigenous populations and European colonizers.
1903: The last official of the Sokoto Caliphate, one of Africa’s largest states covering modern-day Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Nigeria, and Niger, surrendered to British colonial authorities.
1980: While not exclusively African, John Wayne Gacy’s trial began around this time, but there are no specific African events noted for this date. However, it’s worth mentioning that African news often involves broader global contexts.